


Dried Pine

by orphan_account



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, F/M, Force Bond (Star Wars), Post-Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Soul-Searching
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2018-01-20
Packaged: 2019-02-19 07:34:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13119069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: After the events of Crait Kylo Ren is desperate to reach out and find solace over Rey's Betrayal - While Rey tries again and again to pull him to her side. The two are chasing each other in circles, and neither wants to stop.





	1. run

Darkness filled the room he was in, long ornate curtains were pulled haphazardly over the fleets windows, and only the red glow of a datapad illuminated the space as the new Supreme Leader sat, cross legged, on a bed, concentrating with all of his will power to reach out to her, to vent his anger and feeling of betrayal at her, attack her verbally, prove that there was no ‘saving’ him.

When he had awoken, after she had refused him, he felt cut off, as if that had been the final act to plunge him fully into the darkside. He felt truly alone, without any whispers of evil in his brain, without any random visits from her across the universe, without his father- No, he wasn’t his father, Without Han Solo and without Leia. 

He had no one.  
He had lashed at her that her parents were no ones, nothings that had deserted her, but how much more could he say? His parents were someones and they had deserted him.  
A voice in the back of his head that felt more like hers than Snoke’s ever could have whispered that he had deserted them.  
He simply shook it away, more content to face the echoing isolation than the gnawing guilt of all of his actions.

He continued to reach out, reach through the darkness to her, as if she was the light at the end of the tunnel, his savior, so intent on saving him but so quick to turn away.  
The rebellion wasn’t made for her, she was bigger than it, the universe would hardly be able to contain the two of them if they joined arms, They would finish what Vader had started.

But that wasn’t what she wanted. He wasn’t what she wanted. He was wrong about her being alone, wrong about her not having a family, it stood by her side in angry determination, spiting him at every turn, a small bug he couldn’t quite squish, the rebellion, lead by his mother.

But he was almost entirely alone. If Snokes death had cut the two off from each other he’d be totally alone and the very thought of that terrified him more than he would ever be willing to admit. So he kept reaching and pulling and trying to connect to her, his palms facing down, the pose reminiscent of a time memories ago, when he was a child, training to be a Jedi.  
The sudden pulse he felt startled him a heartbeat in his ears, hammering so quickly, the waves of terror followed quickly after and filled him with the most vile of sickness, an anxiety that rushed through every vein in his body. He heard her before he saw her, the quiet gasp in fear, and then in a rush she sat up into his view, hair plastered to her forehead with sweat, eyes wide in an panic, almost feral and animalistic.  
He was tensed, his blood drumming in his ears as he watched her, trying to conceal the affect her emotions had on him, trying to hid it under the mask of clear emotion.

When her eyes fell on him she tensed further, her hands clenched into tight fists, causing his vision of her to blur, yet the emotions still stirred within the force between them. 

She disappeared in a flash. Leaving him to let go of a breath he wasn’t aware he was holding. His skin itched as the feeling of terror stayed inside of him. 

Their connection remained.

Rey panicked. She had assumed that the connection between them would die the moment Snoke did, yet it remained, and that bastard had seen her a moment of pain, terror, and weakness. The nightmares following the events on Crait had kept her up at night. She had blamed the feeling of isolation on the loss of Master Luke, but at that sudden reconnection between her and Kylo- No, Ben, confirmed that it had surely come from him, the connection seemed so much stronger now, his emotions constantly buffering into her, she could only assume hers were buffering into him as well. 

That only seemed to fill her with more despair, if the bond had progressed that much, soon it would be possible for him to see her surroundings, track her, track the rebellion. 

Rey suddenly felt very, very cold. 

She needed to learn how to control this, or at the very least how to close herself off from him, the power he held over her in this moment made her skin crawl, spurring her to get out of the makeshift bed she had been sleeping in, and get dressed, searching for any exit in the rebellions new hideout.

The planet they were on was off in a forgotten system; a dense pine forest, the whole place was trees on top of trees feeding from a massive underground water system, lush with life adapted to the treetops, and covered in a bed of pine needles. The base was dug into a massive redwood, one that had grown into several others, providing a safe hiding place in plain sight.

Rey walked along the ground slowly, her footsteps muted by the flooring of thousands and thousands of pine needles, the area around her completely silent, all of the wildlife was either still asleep or hunting high in the treetops. 

Rey felt so alone.

She also felt rage boil in her stomach, a feeling of anger that did not belong to her. And suddenly she saw him, marching between trees, pacing alone, his stupid cape billowing behind him, his hands running through his hair, snagging and staying put on the crown of his skull. 

He hadn’t noticed her yet, but hiding wasn’t an option, she knew soon his dark eyes would dart over to her, his nasty scar would catch the moonlight filtering in the trees, he would move towards her like an animal hunting prey, she would stand her ground.

He did just that, catching her in his eyes - the deep circles seemed worse in this light- he must have not been sleeping, just like her. He moved towards her, his eyebrows knit together, a pleading look in his eyes only, his face a mask.  
He opened his mouth, his anger and anxiety filled all of her body, making her skin crawl, she wasn’t so sure about standing her ground.  
“Rey, you can still join me. We can still destroy all of this” His voice was a whisper, a mere ghost of the moments they’ve shared, the secret meetings on cold nights where they both forgot where they stood, who they were, the ones she kept locked tight in her heart.

“That’s why I can’t just join you, you think destroying this all will fix things. It wont, it never will.” She spat out, his borrowed feelings adding to the fire of her own. 

He tensed and a wave of exhaustion and sadness came next, her eyes stang a bit, she was strong and didn't cry often, but this was too intense. 

“Rey, please. I can’t do this. I can’t do this alone.”  
“You have a choice, please, join us, make amends, Leave the destruction you’ve caused.” tears pricked at her eyes. 

“You have a choice.”


	2. Isolation

It was a week before they connected again, Rey was in bed, staring up at the ceiling like she had been for a larger portion of the night. Exhaustion weighed down every part of her body, all the training with the resistance had doubled, they were attempting to be as strong as they were before Crait. It was taxing, her entire body already felt weird from the loss of Luke, and now this tempest in her heart only made matters worse, she needed to mask herself and her feelings; almost cut herself off from it all like Luke did and hope that Leia wouldn’t notice that something was off with her.

As if reading her mind and knowing now was not a good time, she suddenly felt him beside her, the same tired ache flowed off of him like water, the same fear from awful nightmares pulsing out in waves, she was like the shore or the moon, gravity pulling him towards her.  
The force had put them so close together that they were almost touching, body heat bouncing between the two.   
Rey turned her head, and allowed herself to look at him, truly to study his features. His hair was a mess, some sticking to his forehead with sweat and some sticking straight out from his head, his dark eyes held an unguarded sadness, and he looked like he hadn’t slept in weeks. His eyes searched hers and probably found the same tired and sad look in her eyes. He turned onto his side and reached out for her, closing his eyes slowly.   
Rey held her breath and closed her eyes too, waiting in anticipation for his touch, something she hadn’t realized she needed, his touch, the proximity of someone so different but someone that understood the loneliness inside of her, the power that surged through her that only made her feel sick - the very same power she knew made him sick too. His fingers shakily touched her arm, recoiling slightly at the feeling of flesh on flesh, but still persisted forward he grabbed her arm next, pulling himself closer.   
One arm wrapped around her, his forehead resting against hers. Slowly she wrapped her own arms around him, running her hands up his arm, feeling scars from his many conquests. 

 

The two simply fell asleep together, drifting peacefully and bringing the peace both sought so desperately.

In the morning she felt alone again, he had left her as their connection fizzled out. But the sleep had rejuvenated her, filled her with strength and a guilty pleasure that she could get drunk on. Rey practically bounced out of bed, not noticing the gentle writing on her arm until she was entering the fresher. She read the handwritten letters in a shock, realizing it was Ben’s quite quickly. 

‘Rey, meet me on the planet Jubilee - sector 5, in three days, There is a ruined base that will provide us with a safe place to meet. I need to see you’ 

She had to scrub hard to get it off. The stupid cursive was cute, as if the boy was just a young romantic poet simply trying to woo a lady with his scrawl.   
Trying to convince the small resistance that she needed to leave was easier than she thought, Leia gave her an understanding look and a nod, allowing her to take a small ship - she just had to explain it to Finn and Poe. The two hardly trusted the situation.

“I need to get supplies for us anyways, this is a recon mission too, information I need to acquire.”   
Finn sighed and shook his head.  
“Rey, that’s hardly safe, you can’t just go on your own -it’s not safe yet” he rested a hand on her shoulder. “I know you’re trying to help in every way you can but we need you safe.”   
“Finn is right, I’m all for this hero crap, but we need you here.” Poe leaned against a wall in her small chambers, the three had frequently met there for meetings, just for them. They had often sat for hours together, talking about plans, their lives. Poe went on for hours about missions he had been on, desperate acts of bravery, Finn spoke of the First Order and of his new life, the missions he had gone on by himself or with Rose, talking about the food, the creatures, and Rose. Rey found she was good at listening, but talking was an issue, Jakku wasn’t exactly the most exciting place - she was a scavenger, nothing more.

Eventually they relented, allowing Rey to leave that afternoon, making sure they knew her location if she didn’t show up after a week.   
She didn’t know why she trusted this.   
He could see her dead after a simple, short fight.  
She could see him on her side - maybe.

Rey filled the ship with supplies before their meeting, making sure they had food, toiletries, and clothing. She was simply trying to distract herself, trying to just make her emotions calm so he wouldn’t be able to just see right through her, so he wouldn't have the upper hand.

The base they were supposed to meet in was small, the door that once protected it lay in a heap of rusted metal. The inside was covered in dust, rust, and what Rey hoped wasn’t blood. He wasn’t supposed to be here for another 2 days, she just needed to see the place.  
Why did he need to see her?   
To convince her to his side?  
To have someone drag him to theirs?  
She cleared a space in an old meeting room and set up camp, moving the ship into the hangar and covering it. She was prepared for the next two days, she would be meditating for one to calm her flurry of emotions, and the other she would spend doing what she does best - scavenging. Searching the destroyed base for anything they could use, anything with the resistances logo, anything that was semi Jedi related. She felt lost without Luke, she was nothing and knew nothing of the force. 

Rey shook her head to drive those negative thoughts away, digging into an old supply closet and pulling out dusty blankets, her fingers gently brushing off the tops of them.

She wondered how he had felt, being raised by Han Solo and Leia Organa. It felt like a dream of hers, one she wished she could have every night. But he was dark now, what would that mean for her if they traded places? She knew he was cunning but she doubted he would be able to survive on a planet like Jakku, he was too prissy, too proud. Yet he stooped so low on a daily basis. 

She wanted to say she hated him, yet a voice in the back of her head told her that she wasn’t being honest with herself, that she didn’t hate him. They still had their bond, they shared something intimate and natural that Snoke’s death hadn’t broken, that the force hadn’t broken.   
She hated the fear she felt when he was around, when he was Kylo Ren, but the ease that slowly filled her when he was himself, in those intimate moments where he was Ben Solo - it was traitorous of her to enjoy her enemy so much.

Rey slumped against her makeshift bed, a few blankets on an old couch that she pushed against a wall, and stared forward into the darkness that quickly filled the base as the sun started to set.   
He would be here soon, one more day before everything changed.  
Her eyes fluttered closed slowly as she began to reach out, feeling the balance of the force all around her.   
She could feel the loss of the fight here, the anger and the weight of this tireless war.  
She felt the life brewing from the ashes here, erupting in new plants forcing through the scorched ground and as force sensitive children she could feel somewhere in the galaxy, she felt the joy that was felt in this place, and the determination to end things, to make tomorrow better.   
Things felt balanced, yet she didn’t at all, she couldn’t find her place in all of this, the whole time she was moving like a ghost, like a forgotten child.   
Rey knew she would find her place with him or because of him, whether it was together or because of either or both of their deaths. She needed to see where she stood though, It was the same stubborn desperation that kept her waiting on Jakku, to stay on Luke’s planet - demanding he teach her, that lead her to Snoke’s chambers. She was a creature of desperation, of wild intuition and stubborn teeth. Maybe finding a home - a place of belonging would tame her.

Rey sighed softly, the idea of that felt unnatural, her hand raised up from its meditation position and gently pushed stray hairs back into place. Her hand slumped to her side as her eyes opened slowly, only widening when she realized that there in front of her, Kylo Ren stood.   
He was huge in person, she always marveled at that when they met, he held immense intimidation in his posture, but sadness and fear danced in his eyes.  
It wasn't just the sadness in his eyes that haunted her, the circles that rimmed his dark eyes reminded her too much of herself, knowing her face must reflect the same tired look. 

It took her a moment of starring to realize that he was there - this wasn’t just the force bond. 

With a start she stood tall, her eyes wide as her nerves took a hold of her, spurring her to stand ready for a fight, yet he didn’t even make a move, only the wave of his reaction knocked her out of it, the bitterness, the hurt, the rejection, it all made her feel sick. 

“You look tired” His voice was husky, barely a whisper, yet it filled the room, It held no bitterness, which further took her aback.  
“You’re one to talk.” she countered, too cautious to understand the tone he was using. Rey held his gaze unflinchingly as he stepped towards her, His hands reaching out slowly, brushing a strand of hair off of her face with such gentleness it caught her off guard, her face heated up quickly and a new tide of feelings hit her - hope, melancholy, and something she just couldn't put her finger on.   
“My offer still stands, we can stop this chasing around, rule together.” he's so close to her now she has to crane her neck to look him in the eyes. It would have felt like he was trying to intimidate her if she didn’t know all the feelings swirling through him. “It would end this slaughter”  
“For the wrong side, for the wrong” She can't understand his path, she can't understand why he would stay chasing those dreams. He sighed and sat down heavily on her makeshift bed, running his hands through his hair.   
“You just don't get it. I-I can't do this” He motioned to his uniform - the uniform of the Supreme Leader of the First Order. “I can't do this alone Rey. I could give you the galaxy, we could rule it, take it from the mess our ancestors left it in.”   
“Why are you trying so hard to see it all as their mess and not our mess- your mess?”   
Kylo had fallen silent, his hands clenched into fists. “Rey…”  
“We could just leave this all behind - I would rather run away and stay content living on some remote island with you than allowing you to fight with the First Order - Lead the First Order!”  
“Then we might as well go. But would you honestly? Throw away what little connections you’ve been able to make? To hide in a hole like this one?” He scoffed. “I could show you luxuries, Rey” 

She sighed and sat down beside him, looking hard at one spot on the floor. “Why do we have to do this - go back and forth so much?” she could feel the pinprick of tears at her eyes. She didn't want this to continue  
“Maybe it’s our destiny” His voice a sarcastic snip.  
“You should just join the resistance...See your Mother.”   
She felt him tense beside her, so slowly she reached for one of his hands, gripping it tightly despite the glove in her way.  
“She misses you, I feel her grief every day”  
“She doesn’t - there's no saving me in her eyes.”   
“There is. Trust me, Ben” Rey looked up slowly to his face, memorizing every detail - he looked like he was about to cry, his eyes glassy as he stared ahead, his jaw tensed - he was a dam of emotions threatening to burst. 

Gently her hands cupped his face, turning it to look at her, her thumb slowly stroking the nasty scar she gave him.   
“Please, Ben.”


	3. reconcile

Ben woke first as sunlight started to filter slowly into their small room. His joints cracking loudly as he stretched his aching muscles, trying to fit two people on a couch was a hassle at the best of times.

His dark eyes scanned the room slowly, his mind replaying the tearful night in they had shared in his head, Rey’s words echoed in his head like a song. 

 

He had agreed. 

 

Ben Solo was now a fugitive of The First Order and they didn’t even know it yet. 

 

He wanted to be happy, She had been happy, her relief flowed into him like a tsunami, filling every bone in his body, but he was still wary. The resistance might not want him. His mother might throw him out for all the wrong he had done to her - to his family. 

The members he had personally affected as well, the ones that wanted to rip him limb from limb for his brutal actions, Kylo Ren was a symbol of hatred for them, a symbol of revenge, he doubted any of this would go over well - despite everything Rey had said to soothe the anxiety she felt coming off of him. 

 

Slowly he eased his body off the couch, careful not to disturb Rey -  knowing very well that she needed all of the rest she could get. His joints cracked angrily again as he walked out of the small room, investigating the base as he tried to get his mind set straight, debating if just disappearing was smart, he knew that the resistance needed money which he could easily syphon from the First Order, but he didn’t even know if they would take his dirty cash, they all knew it was primarily made from slavery and death, yet it was one of the only ways he knew he could help them. There was also the possibility of the First Order not collapsing as brilliantly as Rey had hoped in his absence - he was the Supreme Leader but he hardly carried the respect Snoke did, the Order could have Hux in charge which could be even more dangerous for the Resistance. 

 

He knew Rey and him were unstoppable together, he had felt the power surge through him during their fight in Snokes chamber. The rush it brought him was better than anything Snoke could have offered, it was better than the pretend legacy of his grandfathers. 

Yet he knew it was odd, he was off balance and precariously close to tipping into the void, yet so tantalizingly close to finding his core and balancing himself out. It was as if he had followed Rey off the path he had always been following, like a child chasing after butterflies only to end up lost in the woods, unsure of how they got there and where to go. 

 

Ben felt sick as well, his stomach biting at him angrily, his skin crawling slightly as he broke out into a cold sweat. 

Ben slowly made his way to his ship in search of food, the cruiser was a little big for one pilot, too luxurious for anyone sensible, and screamed First Order a little too loud - the insignia plastered on the side, he remember when looking at it made him proud - now it just made him sick. Despite that it was a good ship, it was his favorite which in retrospect made his travels here that more dangerous, The First Order knew what stupid ship he was in. Sighing deeply he dug his hands into his hair again, fretfully pulling at his long locks. The ships future paint job was only another item to the list of things to do, the list was getting impossibly long, his own cowardice shining through as he thought about it, his hands clenched tightly into fists.

 

The food on the ship was also Bougie, instant meals that would make anyone's mouth water, so quietly he brought the simple portion packs, water, and dishes into the small room where Rey was still sleeping, her peaceful figure calmed him, the way her eyelashes gently kissed her cheeks and the stray freckles splotched her face, he loved the look of her in that moment, despite the frown she wore in her sleep. He loomed over her in comparison, he was in too many ways for his liking her polar opposite. 

 

It was a comfortable moment despite the dread looming in the pit of his stomach, it felt nice to have someone be vulnerable and trusting near him again.

 

Ben sat on the cold ground and slowly poured instant loaf powder and some water into a bowl, watching the steaming bun slowly rise, the smell causing his companion to stir just as slowly. Her eyes opened and searched around for the source of the smell, a look of content forming on her face at the sight of it. She stood and stretched, her tight joints cracked and she sighed. She ruffled his hair as she sat beside him, smiling softly. 

 

“How’d you sleep?” he was surprised his voice came out so easily, barely cracking.

“Surprisingly well! You're not the best mattress though, but our base doesn’t seem to have much better” She grabbed the bun and ripped it in two, handing him the other half, which he took thankfully. 

“I assume I’ll just have to get used to that. Rey, to be honest, I’m terrified of being on your side.” 

“I know, I can feel it, but I can also feel your presence in the light, I’m sure Leia feels it too.” 

He sighed and brushed crumbs off of himself, trying not to think too hard about his presence anywhere. “We should go soon, if things don’t go well I’ll be your prisoner.” 

“Ben. That’s worse than you being on our side, just trust us, please.” She stood, reaching for his hand. He trusted her enormously, but he couldn't help but feel the pull of the dark still deep within him, and with that, mistrust. 

 

“Fine, lets go, You trust me to see where it is?” 

“Honestly, I do, but I’ll have to fly that fancy fleet of yours, cover up the insignias.” 

He took her hand and stood, carrying anything that she needed back to his ship. 

“We’ll just tow my ship, it’ll be obvious it’s us anyways.” she patted down her messy hair and tugged him out to his ship, looking around for anything before just turning to him, reaching slowly for the lightsaber on his belt.

“Don’t damage it, that’s my personal ship.” 

“Trust me I’ll be gentle.” 

She gracefully and gently carved the rebellions insignia over his, he noticed her ignore his wincing. She hoped he understood it was for his ship and not for his former alliances.

Once she entered the ship she understood why it was his favorite, it was perfect for three people, impressive dark decor and red lightings, which he had a feeling she would instantly change to something more her style, blue. The ship had a sitting area directly behind an impressive and totally up to date pilot control board, and just tucked behind the sitting area sat two doors, one she instantly recognized as a refresher, and the other was a comfortable sleeping area. 

 

Everything looked so plush and new that it felt like he had just flown it off of the lot, nothing personalized sat inside, and the entire thing smelt so fresh. It was almost humorous how much the thing juxtaposed The Falcon, they would hopefully change that in time. 

 

Rey was trying to suppress any feelings of uncertainty in herself, she knew herself well and she had hoped to know the force well too, she understood where Ben stood now and hoped that her trust and the trust the force had in him was enough to convince the Resistance. But part of her doubted it, a small part of her that she kept firmly locked away from him screamed that his ego was far too big, he was too far gone, that the Ben Solo now sat beside her in the co-pilot's chair was a clever imposter. That voice she attempted to muffle as they took off, towing her borrowed ship behind them. 

 

Once they were in hyperflight Ben moved from beside her to pace in the sitting area, leaving her to feel the crashing waves of anxiety that rolled off of him, the voice urging her to probe deeper into his emotions and to find anything that would prove he was lying about something, attempting to deceive her and kill her family, kill the resistance. Yet she knew there was nothing in him to find and that she was just allowing her own anxiety to manifest him into a monster.

 

Which he was. There was no excusing his tyranny, but there was nothing excusing the Resistance violence either, and everyone knew that The First Order had gotten softer with its mass killings after Snokes death, they had more so just been enforcers, holding their empire in failing hands. It was all too complicated and Rey just wanted to run,but her family needed her and the force sensitive children out in the world needed her, they needed both of them. 

They were and always had been an intricate balancing act, and now with them together like they were she wondered what they truly were. 

 

Ben paced with similar thoughts rampaging his head, his memory flashed a scene of him pacing similar to this years prior, after he was named Supreme Leader and during the most challenging period of his life, the yearning in his soul to move back towards the light tugging so demandingly that he couldn’t sleep, even a week prior when the bond closed the gap between Rey and him he felt it, being near her made sense, it kept him sane, made his skin buzz and his breathing easier. It was true that they were a balance, a dark and a light, together they were truly neutral - which was true, with no one dictating what they did would they truly pick one side? Or would they just exist with the force in some grey area? He knew she now had a different vice, her friends and family along with following in Luke’s footsteps now lead her, and he happily would follow, making amends for his actions as much as he could.

Once they arrived they hovered above the planet, both of them trying to calm their nerves. It was only ten minutes after they reached the planet that a message came in on the coms, 

General Leia’s voice speaking out and scaring both Ben and Rey. 

 

“Rey,  I see you have a new ship, I must say that it has a very...First Order look to it. I’d like you and your… companion to land in your training clearing, I’ll meet you there to discuss this.” 

 

Her words rang out like a scornful mothers and Rey couldn’t help but the flush that came both to her face and her ears, her eyes darting to Ben to see the cold clammy look on his face, she instantly realized all of his anxiety from the night before as that tiny voice in her head started to scream at her. But Rey did as she was told and lead the ship down to a small gap in the monsterous system of trees, a place she frequented often to train herself and others. 

Ben gripped the arms of his chair as he watched their descent, he had never felt such an amalgamation of feelings until now, everytime he had initially thought of his mother had been with scorn and hatred but now was the first time he allowed himself to think of her feelings towards all of this. He was selfish, a killer, a fucking monster, an egomaniac, and she had been the one to raise him, he had truly let her down. He had to approach her with someone he surely knew she considered her own family now, he knew she would most possibly believe this was all a facade he had created to somehow destroy the Resistance, he had killed his own father, he wouldn't blame her for her thoughts or her actions, if she killed him he would know she was killing Kylo, and that she knew or believed her own son was dead.

 

As they landed he kept that all in mind as he shrugged off another layer of his armor, now in just simple black trousers and a black tunic. He did not need to look like Kylo Ren, he did not need some cape that screamed too much of her father's legacy. It made him embarrassed to think how eagerly he paraded that around. 

 

A lot of old things embarrassed him now. He despised himself greatly. It seemed like Rey had made that obvious, or the force had.

 

Once they both were ready the ship ramp lowered slowly, allowing them to walk out, both standing beside each other, the general staring at them from a little ways off. She looked older than before, as if she had aged in the time span of Rey leaving. She stood tall though, her hair brushed back into the single bun she now wore, her expressionless face wavered at the sight of them, the distance between them getting smaller and smaller as they marched forward. The halted about two feet away and stood in relative silence as Leia looked them over. 

 

The silence was interrupted by one defiant slap, a red mark now sitting on Ben’s cheek, his head tilted to the side from the impact, Leia’s hand returning to her side. His face burned angrily but he endured it, he had already come to terms with this pain.

 

“That is for taking my son away from me, and for taking my husband as well.”

 

Rey grimaced at the pain she felt bubbling off of him, her eyes cautiously on the pair as Ben remained silent, his teeth clenched tightly, ready for more pain. When Leia simply sighed she watched her a little closer, noticing her walls slowly crumble down as she wrapped her arms around her son. 

 

“Thank you for finally coming home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for patiently waiting for this chapter, tons of life things have come up! I hope yoou guys enjoy it and please leave a comment with anything you'd like to see in this fic or any other ones you'd like me to write!  
> Thanks again!


End file.
